Obama talks of presidency as inevitable

Democrat Barack Obama talked on Sunday as if his election were inevitable, telling a Colorado TV station what his administration will accomplish in coordination with a Democratic-controlled Congress.

“What we need to do is to create a responsive enough government that we’re dealing with our healthcare crisis, dealing with energy in a serious way, pushing through a more balanced tax program so that middle class families are benefiting, and responsibly ending the war in Iraq,” Mr. Obama said.

“Those things are going to take up a huge amount of time when we’re also trying to stabilize the financial markets,” he said. “I don’t think that we’re going to have time to engage in a bunch of crazy things that people, that the McCain campaign specifically, has suggested we might.”

Mr. Obama’s answer was prompted by a question about concerns over “one-party rule,” or Democratic control of the White House and both houses of Congress.

He deflected fears of a move towards the far left in government, saying that many Democrats who “may be elected [have] made a commitment to their constituents to be centrist.”

“I don’t think they’re going to want to have big, sudden lurches to the left,” he said.

Here is the YouTube video (hat tip: Ben Smith). Below that is the transcript of what he said.

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“Well look, I think that my main concern right now is just making a case for why we need to change the economic policies that have gotten us in such a mess over the last eight years. I want to collaborate with Democrats and Republicans in getting that done. And, you know, there are a lot of Democrats who may be elected who’ve made a commitment to their constituents to be centrist. I don’t think they’re going to want to have big, sudden lurches to the left. I think what we need to do is to create a responsive enough government that we’re dealing with our healthcare crisis, dealing with energy in a serious way, pushing through a more balanced tax program so that middle class families are benefiting, and responsibly ending the war in Iraq. Those things are going to take up a huge amount of time when we’re also trying to stabilize the financial markets. I don’t think that we’re going to have time to engage in a bunch of crazy things that people, that the McCain campaign specifically, has suggested we might.”